Lesson for October 13, 2024
Victorious Proclamation
Lesson 2
The Angelic Infiltration
It is apparent from the sixth chapter of Genesis that Satan conceived another ingenious scheme to corrupt true humanity. His strategy was to change the nature of mankind into half-human, half-angelic beings through an angelic infiltration into the human race.
The invasion recorded in the first ten verses of Genesis 6 is the most formidable attack ever made upon our salvation. It was so successful that the line by which Jesus Christ could enter the world was narrowed down to eight people, the family of Noah. Had it not been for the Flood, this satanic attack would have turned into a decisive victory, and true humanity would have become extinct on the earth and Christ could never have come.
Genesis 6 opens with a capsulized account of the antediluvian (pre-flood) population. It is interesting to note that as a result of the population explosion, after the Fall there were more women than men.
Genesis 6:1-2, “Now it came about, when mankind began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God (angels) saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.”
The Hebrew words for sons of God is “beni-ha-Elohim,” and appears only four times in the Old Testament: Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7 and in this verse. Another Hebrew word has also been translated “sons of God,” but beni-ha-Elohim is always and invariably used for angels, never men! In the New Testament, “Son of God” is a designation for Jesus Christ, while “sons of God” refers to believers; but we must not confuse the Greek of the New Testament with the Hebrew of the Old Testament. Now since “sons of God” in the Old Testament is used for all kinds of angels, both elect and fallen, the question here is, which kind? Obviously, it is a reference to fallen angels, because elect angels could not have been used by Satan to infiltrate the human race and keep Christ from going to the Cross.
Today there are two types of fallen angels: “demons” and “imprisoned,” and both categories are under the control of Satan. From II Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6-7, we learn that the angels in Genesis 6:2, who infiltrated the human race, later became the imprisoned angels. The Word of God has not been written merely to satisfy our curiosity but rather to reveal God’s plan for mankind. From what is written, we can often deduce what happened. However, we can only speculate as to what took place prior to the attack on the women in Genesis 6. Satan most likely chose certain fallen angels to launch an attack he designed to prevent the Savior from coming into the world. The sinister plan called for fallen angels to cohabitate with human women in an attempt to corrupt the human race.
Now immediately certain questions arise as to the physical possibilities and capabilities of such a plan. First, aren’t angels invisible to the human race? The answer to this is yes, they are, since their bodies are composed of light. However, as a high order of creation, they are extremely beautiful and therefore can appear as strikingly attractive, masculine human beings! (Genesis 18:1-8, 19:1-3)
Before the Flood, cohabitation between all species was possible, though prohibited (I Peter 3:20; Jude 1:6-7). We understand from these passages that the angels who were “one time disobedient” and “did not keep their first domain” were these same fallen angels who cohabitated with human women. After the Flood, even the possibility of intermarriage and procreation between the species was cut off, and those who had been so involved were either destroyed or incarcerated to make doubly sure that it would never be repeated!
In Genesis 6:3, God the Holy Spirit interjects a comment and issues a warning, “And the LORD said. ‘My spirit shall not always remain with [convict inside] man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless, his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.’”
This verse gives us the time frame of 120 years before the Flood. The Holy Spirit would continue right up to the last day to convict and convince mankind to be saved. And notice it says mankind, not angels. Angelic salvation had already been settled. Every angel had made up his mind long before man was created, and their eternal status would never be changed. Those who are fallen angels will always be fallen, and those who are elect angels will always be elect. Because he also is flesh means that there still existed some true humanity on the earth. But there would be only 120 years in this case for people to make up their minds about God. After that, the judgment of the Flood would wipe out the corrupted race who were part angel and part human.
The Holy Spirit communicated salvation to mankind through the message of Noah, a righteous man. (II Peter 2:4-5) Before the Flood, the Holy Spirit had a threefold ministry to the human race. First, He restrained sin so that the human race could survive. Had there been no restraint during that time, Noah and his family would have been killed. Second, the Holy Spirit’s ministry of conviction provided information to unbelievers so that they could make a decision necessary for salvation. The third ministry of the Holy Spirit was His regenerating work by which every believer would be saved.
Genesis 6:4, “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days; and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of mankind, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men, who were of old, men of renown.”
As a result of angelic procreation with humanity, a super-race evolved, called Nephilim, meaning “fallen ones.” They had fallen from the human race in that they were no longer true humanity. As half man and half angel, they were creatures of remarkable strength and brilliant intellect. The next phrase repeats the reason, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of mankind, and they bore children to them. The children which the women bore to these angels were the mighty men, who were of old (existed before humanity), men of renown (famous).
Ancient literature contains stories of heroes who were mighty men and performed unusual, extraordinary feats. They were all described as half human and half god. Although this literature is called mythology, it is not entirely mythical. It is based on facts from Genesis 6. The facts were embellished, of course, with imagination.
The half-angelic, half-human super-race had completely taken over and corrupted the human race of the antediluvian civilization, except for the few who resisted — Noah plus seven! The reason that Noah and his family did not get involved was that they were believers. God protected them physically from the super race, who were exceedingly warlike and brutal, but ultimately there was no other way to preserve true humanity than to destroy the Nephilim. Furthermore, God must keep His Word regarding the promise to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15, as well as resolve the Angelic Conflict. Only twice in the history of the human race will every unbeliever be destroyed 1) the Flood and 2) the Second Coming of Christ.
Genesis 6:5-9, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. So, the Lord was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Then the Lord said, ‘I will wipe out mankind whom I have created from the face of the land; mankind, animals as well, and crawling things, and the birds of the sky. For I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man and blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God”
So, the Lord was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. This is an anthropopathism, ascribing to God human thinking in order to explain in terms of human language His policies, thoughts, acts and decisions toward this corrupted race. God expressed what He would do about mankind’s choice to reject God’s message of salvation from Noah. God’s decision was to protect the human race from being totally corrupted so that His plan of salvation could be fulfilled by Christ becoming an uncorrupted human being.
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Mankind’s thinking had reached the point that they could think only of corrupt, satanic thoughts. Had not God protected Noah and his family, they too would have been in danger from this evil. Noah found grace when he believed in the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ as his Savior.
Noah’s genealogy was uncontaminated by the demon cohabitation, and he therefore represented true humanity in the human race. Between Adam and Noah there was an unbroken line of pure humanity. This is one of the major reasons why the genealogies of both the Old and New Testaments are extremely important. They demonstrate that at the point of the Virgin Birth there was a line of undefiled humanity from Adam to the virgin Mary.
Noah had a spiritual life – he “walked with God.” He personally withstood Satan’s scheme to corrupt him, and through his spiritual leadership, his family was also protected from the angelic infiltration. This is the background as to what will follow and end in the Victorious Proclamation!!!